You are here

Continue celebrating National Bike Month by joining in the many fabulous events and rides happening throughout New Haven this month! Mark your calendar for our 8th Annual B.icyclist A.ppreciation B.reakfast at Y.ale on Friday the 29th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Phelps Gate (on College Street between Chapel and Elm). Stop by for coffee, pastries, fruit and friends!

National Bike Month was established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists and is celebrated in communities from coast to coast. New Haven’s bike month showcases the many benefits of bicycling — and encourages more folks to give biking a try.

Some Events Taking Place in New Haven the Week of May 18th:

Bike Self Repair Station Clinic: Parks Department

What: With $5,000 raised in the 2014 “Rock to Rock” ride, Martin Torresquintero of the New Haven Parks Department ordered three new “self-repair bike stations” where people can fix their bikes and inflate their tires. Union Station currently has one and Martin now has the new stations up and running (with a model with better pumps!). Join Martin for a Bike Repair Clinic and learn how to fix your own bike at the stations outside the Parks Department office at Edgewood and Yale avenues! Bring your bike!

What: Race the 3rd Thursday of May, June, and July in the West Rock Nature Center! The Super-Prestige will be a three-race points series with overall winners crowned at the Finale on July 16th. Each race will feature a different course in the 40 acre New Haven Park. The course length will be 1-2 miles and include quick descents and challenging climbs with a mix of grassy double track and single track. A Race is an OPEN Category for racers or riders feeling strong* B Race is for Beginners and Juniors* *Racers under 18 and Women will be scored seperately. The Finale will have a post race award ceremony for OVERALL WINNERS and a cook out for ALL RACERS and Volunteers!

What: Denali is teaming up with New Haven Bike Month to lead a bike ride from their New Haven store up to the summit of East Rock Park. Denali New Haven store manager Chris Mejias will be leading the ride to one of the best spots in the city. From the top of East Rock you will have sweeping views of downtown New Haven and Long Island Sound. Meet at Denali New Haven at 5:45 for a 6:00 ride start. Water bottles can be filled up in the store and we will have some energy bars if you need a snack. Total round trip will be about 8 miles.

What: Open streets events temporarily close select city streets to automobile traffic, so that people may use them for walking, bicycling, dancing, playing, and socializing. Join us from 9am - 3pm for a relaxing & fun day outside in the East Rock neighborhood! This Open Streets Event is hosted by mActivity (www.mactivity.com) – a new, local East Rock Gym and coffee shop/ Juice bar opening later this summer. There will be food, outdoor activities, face-painting, bike fundamentals classes, & more! And, most importantly, we will shutting down Orange Street from Cold Springs Drive to English Drive, as well as up Farnum and English Drive for you to freely run, bike, walk, & play

Schedule:

9 am - Yoga on the Orange Street Bridge with Jerrod Smith of Therapy Three

What: Please bring used and unwanted bicycles out of your (and your friends’ and relatives’) attics, basements, and garages and donate them for use by low-income youth and adults in Greater New Haven. We are holding a bike drive in connection with the East Rock Open Streets Event with mActvity on Saturday, May 23 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Bicycles, accessories, parts and tools can be dropped off in the Wilbur Cross High School parking lot. Any bicycle-related donations will be accepted, ranging from new and used helmets, locks and lights to racks, baskets, panniers, bicycle clothing to damaged frames that we can sell for scrap to support our recycling efforts. If you have stuff to donate but can’t drop it off on the 23rd, please contact Paul Hammer at (203) 871-8471 or send an email to pauldhammer@yahoo.com. Cash donations will be accepted as well and are tax-deductible. The Bike Month Bike Drive is a project of Bicycle Education, Entrepreneurship and Enrichment Programs (BEEEP!, Inc.). We work with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Errera Center at the VA Hospital, Farnam Neighborhood House and other organizations to provide bicycles to low income individuals, to teach bicycle safety and repair, and to take inner-city youth on bicycle tours.

What: Are you ready to roll? Ride to Ansonia from New Haven on Sunday 24 May, leaving from the Pierre Lallement plaque on the New Haven Green at 10:15 am. We ride to Ansonia, break for lunch, and then march in the Memorial Day Parade at 2 pm. Can’t get much more fun out of a day than that. BONUS: David Herlihy will be in attendance. Can’t get much more fun out of a day than that.

What: On this leisurely tour of the New Haven and Hamden sections of the Farmington Canal Rail Trail, we will stop frequently to view and explore sights along and close to the trail corridor on our way north, and zip back without stopping on the way back. Pack a lunch. This is a family friendly ride. The tour begins in front of Ingalls Rink (cor. of Sachem and Prospect Sts.) at 10:00am. Free parking is available in the two lots on either side of the rink or on Prospect St. We should be back by 2:00pm. Heavy rain cancels, but check with tour leader (see below) if the forecast is uncertain or calls for periods of intermittent light rain or drizzle. For further information, contact Paul Hammer, pauldhammer@yahoo.com, 203-871-8471.